How does sedimentary rock become igneous rock

Each kernel has the potential to pop, but they do it one at a time. You never know which particular kernel is going to pop, but you know if you wait long enough, most of them will have popped. All else being equal i. As the number of kernels dwindles, the number of popped corn kernels increases. You could plot the number of kernels left to be popped and the number that have already popped :.

The time scale is determined by the half-life or the time it takes for half the kernels to pop. From looking at the graph, it is obvious that the number remaining at any time decreases with time, and more pop per unit time than pop later, when there are fewer left to pop. In fact, the number that pop during any interval depends on the number of unpopped kernels that were there at the beginning of the interval.

The special number is called "e" and is about 2. The time constant is some number that depends on the rate at which the pop corn pops. I used the number the natural log of 2 0. You can actually plot the curve shown above with a hand calculator. Radioactivity behaves somewhat like popcorn as describe above.

There are unstable isotopes of certain elements. These " parent " elements break down into other " child" elements by shedding particles from the nucleus. The rate at which this occurs depends only on the number of atoms around, so it follows exactly the same function as that described above.

We can plot the numbers of parent and daughter atoms as we did for unpopped and popped kernels of popcorn:. The decay constant of a particular parent can be measured in the laboratory by counting the number of times particles decay per second. Erosion and weathering transform boulders and even mountains into sediments, such as sand or mud. Dissolution is a form of weathering—chemical weathering. With this process, water that is slightly acidic slowly wears away stone. These three processes create the raw materials for new, sedimentary rocks.

Precipitation and lithification are processes that build new rocks or minerals. Precipitation is the formation of rocks and minerals from chemicals that precipitate from water. Finally, lithification is the process by which clay, sand, and other sediments on the bottom of the ocean or other bodies of water are slowly compacted into rocks from the weight of overlying sediments. Sedimentary rocks can be organized into two categories. The first is detrital rock , which comes from the erosion and accumulation of rock fragments, sediment , or other materials—categorized in total as detritus, or debris.

The other is chemical rock, produced from the dissolution and precipitation of minerals. Detritus can be either organic or inorganic. Organic detrital rocks form when parts of plants and animals decay in the ground, leaving behind biological material that is compressed and becomes rock.

Coal is a sedimentary rock formed over millions of years from compressed plants. Inorganic detrital rocks, on the other hand, are formed from broken up pieces of other rocks, not from living things. These rocks are often called clastic sedimentary rocks. One of the best-known clastic sedimentary rocks is sandstone.

Sandstone is formed from layers of sandy sediment that is compacted and lithified. Chemical sedimentary rocks can be found in many places, from the ocean to deserts to caves. For instance, most limestone forms at the bottom of the ocean from the precipitation of calcium carbonate and the remains of marine animals with shells.

If limestone is found on land, it can be assumed that the area used to be under water. After some time it will cool and harden and will become Igneous rocks. How does sedimentary rock change into igneous rock? Earth Science Rocks Sedimentary Rocks. Nov 14, Explanation: When Sedimentary rocks are heated with tremendous heat and pressure , it will melt and be back again to magma. Related questions What are sediments and how are they formed?